His day has finally arrived, and you stand before the gathered crowd at the reception to give a memorable best man speech. You know the bride, and she looks radiant. Your parents are holding their breath, waiting to hear their son give a speech to sum up the whole occasion – but are you ready?

Writing a best man speech for your older brother takes some more consideration than others, as there is no one on the planet of whom you have more stories, anecdotes, and yes, embarrassing takes. But it’s time to pause and take stock. You don’t want to say just anything – you want to draw from experience, and speak from the heart. Take a moment and read on about how to write a best man speech for your older brother.

Edit Yourself Carefully

When we become nervous, we tend to vocalize what sounds like a good thought without carefully thinking it through. What you don’t want to happen is to share the details about some of the seedier or more embarrassing adventures you have shared with your older brother. Look over your rough notes and edit anything that might be taken the wrong way. If there was a wild weekend in Cozumel, leave it between the two of you.

You may wish to insert some things your brother shared with you concerning his new bride. Review your conversations and pull anything and toss it should it speak in a questioning or negative tone. Couples who begin dating come across rough patches at times, and if your older brother shared any of these with you, forget them. People change over time, and sharing doubts and negative observations, even in a light hearted manner, will fall flat. The wedding is a time for good memories, and that is what you are there to provide.

Be Prepared

After penning your best man speech, sit down with your older brother and his bride and go over it. Practice it in front of them so they know the tone you are shooting for. From their feedback, you will be able to identify any questionable statements and make the proper adjustments long before you take the spotlight at the reception. Be critical, and let your brother be critical as well. The wedding is about him and his wife, after all, and aiming for a funny event that might not sound so funny to the audience is definitely something to avoid.

Keep these tips in mind and you’ll bring down the house

The reception speech can be your crowning achievement, or your most embarrassing moment ever. You will help set the mood for the evening, and with a well delivered oration, you can kick the party into overdrive. There are many elements to consider, and inserting humor is a great way to make a statement. Below are the top 5 factors for a funny best man speech, and taking each into consideration will help you give a memorable performance.

1. Make it Witty

When writing the speech, brainstorm clever observations and anecdotes that highlight the happy couple. Don’t chose stories that might place them in a bad light, but things that are warm and supportive. Slight ribbing is allowed, but whatever you do, stay away from the dark side. Saying something mean just to gain a laugh is a sure way of severing your ties with the couple for life. Consider what will bring a good hearted laugh, and ask yourself if your audience will ‘get’ your joke. It may be brilliant, but if it goes over the crowd’s head, you’ll have a silent room.

2. With Timing, Practice Makes Perfect

A funny best man speech is just like telling a good joke. Not only should you consider what words to use, but how they are delivered. Take a pause after a witty comment to let it sink in with your audience. Don’t rush through a story just to get to the punch line. Every few sentences take a pause. Let the crowd follow along and enjoy the tale.

3. Keep it Non Offensive

Just as you don’t want to say something mean, you do not want to be offensive to the other guests. Your joke may sound harmless, but before delivering it, consider if anyone might find it in bad taste. Stay away from religious subjects, sexual innuendo, or drug references. Keep a close eye on political topics, as well as gender roles. Be sensitive, and you’ll do well.

4. Eye Contact

Your best man speech is being delivered for the audience’s entertainment, not simply to be told. Make eye contact with people in the room, holding their gaze for a few seconds before moving onto the next. This technique draws them into your speech so that they are participants as well as an audience.

5. Confidence

You are the best man for a very good reason – you are the subject matter expert. Remember this to help build your confidence. This is your moment to shine, and the more presence you command with your audience, the better your chances are for delivering a funny best man speech.

Keeping an eye on the clock to keep the evening going

It may well be your first time giving a best man speech, or perhaps you’ve done it before. No matter your experience, it’s important to rein back your desire to tell everything, and just as important to say more than a few simple words. Your best man speech length should be appropriate for the occasion, and as there will be others following in your footsteps, it is advisable to keep the speech at somewhere around the 5 minute mark. It may sound short, but for others, it can be an eternity. Within that timeframe you will need to craft a well-thought out speech that keeps the audience engaged without losing their attention.

Adding to Your Best Man Speech Length

If five minutes sounds too long, think again. As the resident expert on the groom and bride, you have plenty of stories to recall helping illustrate the happy occasion. Start by jotting down a few ideas, and choose the ones that seem the most appropriate. Order them by when they took place, or how important each was. Begin to flesh out the details as if you were writing a narrative paper form back in English class and practice reading it out loud. You’ll know when you’ve got it down, then simply read from the prepared speech (you can get some great speech examples here that will make creating your speech super easy) when your moment comes.

Limiting the Duration of your Best Man Speech

On the other hand, your five minutes in the spotlight might seem a bit too short. You have years of stories to tell, perhaps several that you’ve already promised to share when your time came. But, it’s important to remember the focus of the evening is on the happy couple. Your audience will be a mix of your friends, parents, and guests that have little connection to many of the tales you wish to spin. To keep your time manageable, choose only the most important stories and stick to those. Practice giving your speech in front of the mirror and keep a timer on yourself. If you find your speech is longer than the time allotted, simply start to edit away the extras. Keeping it short and sweet, and around that five minute mark, will prove to help build a better speech and ensure a more memorable performance.

Tips for nailing the perfect memorable speech

The last thing you want to do is lose focus when you write a best man speech. Keeping your wits about you and remembering the best man speech advice you’ve learned will go a long way in adding to a memorable evening. Take your time work at the issue at hand – entertaining the crowd.

Make it Meaningful

Your speech should first of all be meaningful for the bride and groom, as well as the guests in attendance. Should you ramble on about something that has no bearing on the occasion will simply relegate your speech to the realm of the forgotten. This day is for the happy couple, and your speech should reflect that. Use happy memories about their meeting, or events that you shared with them that showcases their love.

You may be addressing the wedded couple directly from their table, but don’t forget about the audience in the room. Your speech is written to be shared by all, and if great aunt Gladys can’t hear you, you’ve lost your hold on the crowd. Face the audience while looking aside to the bride and groom. Make eye contact during your speech with different guests and speak so they can hear you, no matter where they are.

The last thing you want to be is vague and misunderstood, so be sure to use appropriate and relatable quotes for the occasion. Remember that that not everyone in the room shares your passion for obscure trivia, so choose quotes that most people would get no matter their interests. Because everyone is at the wedding, you might consider something from the experiences of the bride and groom.

Image Credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/katielips

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Greatest Best Man Speeches is your one stop destination for all things related to best man speeches. Giving your Best Man’s Speech at the wedding of someone special to you is a big responsibility and a huge honor. It is a once in a lifetime moment and our aim is to help you make it a MEMORABLE once in a lifetime moment.
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